May - California Central Coast - Porsche Club of America

May Member Profile
greg
fullmer
Gregg Fullmer and THE 914/6 GT
From the street outside the garage we heard that unique
and sweet sound: a 911 Porsche in full cry, down shifting.
Our eyes and ears weren’t in sync; the 914 that pulled up was
certainly not a 911; this was at least a 914/6. It turned out
to be Greg Fullmer’s very special 914/6 GT—an original factory
GT. The GT was a one-time, limited edition of only 48
914s, turned out mostly for racing by the Porsche factory in
1970. Complete with flared fenders to accommodate wider
tires, a built-in roll-bar, lighter body construction, racing
steering geometry, and most importantly, a more powerful
911 S motor. The mid-engine GT was designed to compete
with Europe’s best in all types of racing events and venues
and at a relatively affordable cost. Greg’s GT went directly
from the factory to the shop of the German stylist Glocker
where it was customized for the use of the chairman of Mahag
Motors, the ordering Porsches dealer. It is as original as it
was when it left the factory, except for exterior body paint to
cover the scars of years of racing in Europe and the US.
After more than five decades of driving and racing cars of
all makes, types and years, Greg finds himself with a beloved
Porsche that is forty years old: both are seasoned veterans
of decades of racing, touring, and just driving. Neither he
California Central Coast Porsche Club Of America May 2011
nor the GT are planning on retiring from fast driving soon.
Greg Fullmer grew up in Bakersfield where his father was
a petroleum engineer for Standard Oil. And growing
up in Bakersfield he grew up around cars: muscle cars, hot
rods, dragsters, and sports cars. At 14 Greg obtained an old,
flat head V-8 Ford and took it apart. A year later, with help
from friends and Auto Shop at Bakersfield High, he got it
back together and it ran. Greg knew then what he wanted to
do: he never looked back-- he was into cars for life. Greg had
real jobs of course, lots of them, but whenever possible they
always had something to do with motors and vehicles that
went fast and looked good.
After graduating from Bakersfield High School in 1962,
Greg served a hitch in the US Navy: afterwards he attended
community colleges in the Valley, and worked as a
self-taught automotive machinist. He later attended UCLA
and was accredited to teach at Junior colleges: He taught
auto mechanics at Bakersfield College for seven years and ran
his own automotive machine shop; Greg later spent 23 years
with the Kern County Superintendent of schools office. During
these years, Greg expanded his choice of racing wheels to
all types of sports cars.
He was equally adept
at drag strips and
autocrosses.
The ‘S’ curve at Laguna Seca
His first Porsche
was a 1967
Porsche 912 Targa. In
this car Greg eventually
became PCA
Class A Champion.
But he eventually
couldn’t resist the call
of the 911. Greg
drove, raced, and
modified almost every
911 Porsche made in
the 1960’s and 70’s.
And he drove in every
type of competitive event: time trials, ralleys, pro ralleys,
Monte Carlo events, autocrosses and track races—and on all
kinds of tracks and courses: dirt, mountain, street, banked
and at most tracks on the West Coast, including his favorite:
Laguna Seca. And he won or placed high in almost every race
he entered. At one point he even won The Sam Wang award
from Z8, winning at auto X, time trial & concourse, but
only 3rd in rally. And all in the same year and in the same
car.
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